Are You a Christian Grandparent? Read 7 Ways To Serve God

Are You a Christian Grandparent?

Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9). 

Are you a grandparent and often wonder how you can be better for your loved ones?

This is massive, and it’s great that you’re trying! Based on the Bible, there is purpose and meaning behind being a grandparent.

Before going ahead, just know that you don’t need to be perfect. But you can be intentional and Christian in spirit. This is more than enough for God’s followers to serve Him.

Feel free to pick your favorite suitable approaches in your process, but whatever you do, keep in mind number 7.

We can all learn from the following 7 ways you can show up more intentionally as a grandparent. We’ve compiled research on Christian grandparents and summarized what you can start doing right away.

grandparent
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1. Build Faith In Your Grandchildren

God encourages us to carry on His teachings. It is great if you can start with building faith in your grandchildren. No matter your family situation, everyone benefits from having faith.

More practically, if you’re planning on being a Christian grandparent, you may look for opportunities when you can talk about the Bible or your faith to your grandchildren. For instance, if you’re a Bible enthusiast, you can proceed by sharing God’s stories with grandchildren.

This does not have to be an entirely serious and rigid conversation. Your grandchildren will gladly receive your message when they’re ready and open to it.

Be careful and act in grace, but here’s an idea of praying together as follows:

Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a heart full of gratitude for the precious gift of my grandchildren.

Lord, I ask that You bless them and keep them.
Surround them with Your protection all their days.

In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray,
Amen.

2. Stay Consistent With Your Intentions

If you have trouble making decisions, this is truly a critical teaching.

Now that you’ve prayed about it, let your consistent intentions light the rest of the way, step by step.

When you sit down to finally make your intentions up, you can simply express your feelings and thoughts. God’s love is always simple and humble. You will want to keep your intentional call to Jesus just as simple and humble. This can be, for example, ‘I want to be a Christian grandparent that passes on the love for Jesus to my grandchildren.’

It is a good idea to consolidate your intentions and reinforce the energy by discussing with your spouse, your children, and friends. They will appreciate your respectable mission.

3. Teach Your Grandchildren

Whether this would look more like Sunday school or soft discipline for you, it is always a good idea to stay updated and educated about how you can further teach your grandchildren.

Start simple for now and look for reliable and effective ideas. A few proven ways that grandchildren can receive Jesus in their hearts are:

  • Select a few adequate Bible stories to tell and explain to your grandchildren. You won’t absolutely need a children’s Bible for this, but feel free to gather child-friendly Bible teachings if you’re unsure.
  • Follow grandparents’ resources online and in your local community. There are always opportunities to teach God. Another faithful thing you can do is chat with your neighbors if they’re in the same situation. You may come up with even more insights when working together in prayers.
  • Join or start a church group with your community’s grandparents. It is best when Christian grandparents come together to focus on the discipline of their grandchildren.
  • If you’re tackling multiple generations in your family and are concerned with their spiritual wellbeing, you will probably find yourself and your struggles in Tell Me About Your Life!.

4. Plan But Also Be Spontaneous

An essential aspect of inspiring faith in the name of Jesus is the easygoingness behind the process.

To teach and be an intentional Christian grandparent, you will need to ground yourself in serenity. Your grandchildren will notice your approach, even if unconsciously. Make it easier and more comfortable for everyone, including yourself.

If you’re new on this journey, it can be a good idea to read a grandparents’ book, too!

But straight to the point, there’s something grandchildren can learn in anything and any moment happening around us. Whether you’re sitting at the dinner table or reading bedtime stories, tune your spiritual self in and let your intuition guide your grandchildren.

Having a structured moment for Jesus can feel foreign at first. Slowly incorporating similar messages into your quality time is incredibly precious for a good development.

5. Open This Up Every Time You Are With Your Grandchildren

Once you have a good idea of your mission in the name of God, talking about Bible teachings should come naturally.

Think about it as follows. If your grandchildren consistently get to learn that every time you spend time with them God is in the room, they will begin to serve Him as well. You will start noticing small signs of that subtle switch, so look out for moments and opportunities to bring God in.

Another practical idea to do is pause for a minute and maybe write down:

  • Did I learn something new from reading the Bible recently? I can incorporate that.
  • Is there anything going on in the world that can relate to God’s teachings? This will strengthen both faith and healthy exploration.
  • Are there any daily challenges that would need God’s reassurance? In that case, your grandchildren will have a brand new outlook – inspired by God’s perspective and goodness.

6. Precious Experiences That Lead To God

One of the most genuine things you can do in your mission is nurture experiences that lead to God. This can be local volunteering or getting engaged with diverse groups and categories of people.

If you want to teach Christian compassion and what good comes out of it, stand alongside your grandchildren when experiencing God’s moments. Help a disadvantaged family at Christmas to teach solidarity and talk about Holy Days every time one pops up.

Optional: If you’re an active member of your church, it can be a good idea to ask for permission and start a debate club for youngsters. Open discussions can promote kindness in the name of God, of course.

If you are still running out of good ideas, Forever Connected will give you a starter to commence meaningful activities with your grandchildren.

grandparent
Credit: Nestor Rizhniak, Shutterstock

7. The Power of Personal Example

This point reunites all the others on the list. Lived experiences will always matter more than what you can learn from books— even if that’s the Bible itself.

It regards lived faith, instead of studied faith.

  • Your grandchild doesn’t want a religious grandparent; they want a grandparent that turns to God for help and support.
  • Your grandchild doesn’t want a rigid grandparent; they want a grandparent that seeks God’s forgiveness and grace.
  • Your grandchild doesn’t want a proud grandparent; they want a humble and listening grandparent who reads the Bible every day.

The power of personal example is a proven technique. It shows that God is always present in each of us equally. The principle is quite simple in essence: live for Jesus in front of your grandchildren.

Takeaway

Being an intentional Christian grandparent can be something brand new for you. We understand the stress and worries this may come with. You are never alone, though!

God will follow through, as long as you also follow:

  1. Build faith in your grandchildren
  2. Stay consistent with your intentions
  3. Teach Your Grandchildren
  4. Plan But Also Be Spontaneous
  5. Open This Up Every Time You Are With Your Grandchildren
  6. Precious Experiences That Lead To God
  7. The Power of Personal Example

Did you find this helpful? Continue reading 5 House Rules Every Christian Home Should Follow.

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